Bears legend Matt Suhey died in his sleep Saturday night over Labor Day weekend, according to multiple reports.
He was 68.
The cause of death for the longtime Chicago fullback and running back, who spent his full 10-year NFL career in the city, is not known.
Several former teammates of Suhey’s were left stunned.
“I am shocked,” Hall of Fame defensive tackle Dan Hampton said to the Daily Herald after receiving the news Sunday evening.
Hampton said he saw Suhey at the Super Bowl XX Bears’ 40th anniversary last year.
“I kind of remember Matt as a level-headed guy,” safety Gary Fencik said. “You could almost interpret how the offense felt by going through Matt. Just a real valuable teammate and one that, gosh, this was a real shock to all of us.”
Suhey was a second-round pick to Chicago in 1980 out of Penn State.
Over a decade, he rushed for 2,946 yards for 20 touchdowns across 148 games, including 100 starts. Suhey also caught 260 passes for 2,113 yards and five touchdowns as a valuable piece in the Bears’ backfield.
He also rushed for 52 yards and scored the first touchdown in a 46-10 pummeling of the Patriots in Super Bowl victory in 1986.
In seven of his 10 seasons, Suhey didn’t miss a regular-season game.
“Quality of character, there was no one superior to Matt,” Hampton said. “He was truly a gentleman. He wasn’t like a bunch of the rest of us who were cutting up. He was, I don’t want to say more adult, but he was real responsible. He played around with Walter and everyone else but he wasn’t a guy going out to the bar after the game. He was a businessman.”
Suhey was the lead blocker and best friend of Hall of Famer Walter Payton, who died in 1999 which came 12 years after he retired as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. He was also the godfather of Suhey’s son, Scott.
“How can anybody compare to him?” Suhey said of Payton in a 1985 Tribune article. ”Some may be faster, but nobody’s stronger or better at all facets of the game. It might be nice to carry the ball more and see my name in the stats. But if Walter scores a touchdown, and I make a good block, that’s the name of the game.
“He’s a very good friend of mine. I enjoy his personality. You never know what to expect. On the field, you’re always second to him. But he never makes you feel that way.”
